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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27126055">No 17. I Did Not See That Coming</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smiley5494/pseuds/Smiley5494'>Smiley5494</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [16]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Arthurian Mythology &amp; Related Fandoms, Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Blackmail, Court Sorcerer Merlin (Merlin), Gen, Magic is legalised out of spite, Timeline What Timeline, Whumptober 2020, no 17, sometime in an alternate canon, who knows what is happening</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:00:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,482</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27126055</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smiley5494/pseuds/Smiley5494</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin didn’t know how Vortigern had found him. No, that was a lie, he knew the warlord was there to negotiate with Arthur. Finding Merlin was easy once there was that starting point.</p><p>Never, Merlin mused, had he ever regretted telling about those dragons more than while he was pressed against the wall with Vortigern’s arm on his throat and threats in his ear.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [16]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1965595</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>111</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>No 17. I Did Not See That Coming</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>prompt:</p><p>No 17. I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING<br/><b>Blackmail</b> | Dirty Secret | Wrongfully Accused</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Merlin didn’t know how Vortigern had found him. No, that was a lie, he knew the warlord was there to negotiate with Arthur. Finding Merlin was easy once there was that starting point.</p><p>Never, Merlin mused, had he ever regretted telling about those dragons more than while he was pressed against the wall with Vortigern’s arm on his throat and threats in his ear.</p><p>“Don’t worry, boy,” Vortigern was saying, “I know your little secret—you do what I say and we won’t have a problem, won’t we?”</p><p>“We won’t.” Merlin found himself agreeing. He could’ve cursed himself, all those years where he hadn’t even thought of the man, all for nothing as he caved at the first hint of his magic being exposed.</p><p>Merlin avoided everyone after that, Gaius had noticed the bruising on his throat and Merlin had made up something that he didn’t remember. Arthur had noticed, coming down to Gaius’ chambers to ask about the servant’s whereabouts.</p><p>Gaius had lied, explaining that Merlin was sick and Arthur would have to ask a different servant. It wasn’t entirely a lie, Merlin had worked himself into such a state over the worry and fear that Gaius had ordered bed-rest on him until he was more stable on his feet.</p><p>Merlin didn’t know when Vortigern would leave, nor did he know what Vortigern would force Merlin to do now that he had blackmail. All Merlin was sure of was that Vortigern hadn’t forgotten the prophecies Merlin had given, and the elder was still smarting over the destruction of his castle. Vortigern did, however, believe that Merlin’s name was Myrddin.</p><p>There wasn’t much Merlin could do about the situation, except to avoid Vortigern and advise Arthur on the situation with backhand comments. Arthur who kept trying to ask about where he had been. Merlin dodged the questions with the expertise of one who dodged questions to live.</p><p>Finally, Arthur just straight up asked.</p><p>“Merlin!” He’d called after he’d given up probing for answers, “I forbid you from dodging the question; where were you and why did you leave?”</p><p>“Sire!” Merlin just answered he didn’t know what to say, “I can’t… tell you.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“Because—” Merlin paused, they were alone, and Merlin didn’t have much to lose from telling a partial truth. “—he’ll kill me.”</p><p>Arthur stood abruptly, there was nothing but fury in his expression; Arthur was a clear-cut person, zero to sixty in an instant, and a threat to his friends was a threat to him.</p><p>“Tell me his name,” Arthur ordered, there was no exceptions in his tone, just instant finality. If Merlin said Vortigern’s name, Arthur would kill him.</p><p>“I can’t,” Merlin started, and when it looked like Arthur would interrupt, he rushed the next words, “You would kill him and then you would get yourself into a situation you can’t get out of.”</p><p>“I won’t kill whoever it is,” Arthur promised, but his eyes still spoke of murder. Merlin just shook his head and focused on his work. It was effectively a dismissal, and Arthur didn’t do well with dismissals.</p><p>“Merlin!” Arthur called; when Merlin turned his attention on Arthur, the other man continued, “I won’t kill whoever threatened you, I will instead keep an eye on him and try to catch him doing something illegal, then legally, I <em>can</em> kill him. Tell me who threatened you.”</p><p>Merlin just stood there, his desire to be seen warring with his fear of being known. Arthur waited, patient and kind, for Merlin to make the final decision.</p><p>“Vortigern.”</p><hr/><p>Arthur was furious. Merlin had been right, he desperately wanted to kill the warlord, but Vortigern was a guest—to kill him would effectively be treason.</p><p>True to his word, Arthur watched Vortigern carefully, every move the man made Arthur knew of. There was nothing Vortigern did that Arthur wasn’t aware of. Which meant, that Arthur was completely sure that Vortigern had some sort of blackmail material against his servant.</p><p>What that blackmail was, Arthur didn’t know. He was sure that it was something serious if the way Merlin flinched away from the warlord, yet still completed his every whim, was any indication.</p><p>It was a few weeks after Merlin had told him when Arthur had a meeting with Vortigern scheduled. Merlin was nowhere to be found so Arthur arrived at the meeting with a heavy heart and sinking hopes.</p><p>“Your highness,” Vortigern said, voice silky and yet just harsh enough to set Arthur’s teeth on edge.</p><p>“Warlord Vortigern,” Arthur replied, carefully keeping the hatred out of his voice.</p><p>“I have some information that might please you,” Vortigern continued, “it has taken some time to be sure, but I believe I have located where the sorcerer who was responsible for my castle’s collapse is.”</p><p>All the information that Arthur had gathered was blinking red warning signs in his face. Very carefully he said, “Oh?”</p><p>“Yes,” Vortigern said, “the true identity of the sorcerer Myrddin—”</p><p>Arthur’s mind supplied the name <em>Merlin</em>, but he didn’t want to hear it.</p><p>“—is none other than your manservant, Merlin.”</p><p>Arthur’s mind blanked at the outright confirmation. Vortigern sat there, a proud wielder of cutting truths. If Arthur hadn’t already had the thought in the back of his mind that Merlin was more than he seemed, Merlin’s life would be eligible for forfeit. Suddenly, Arthur realised that Merlin had never outright said who would <em>kill</em> him, instead, Arthur had asked who <em>threatened</em> Merlin, not who would kill him.</p><p>Arthur considered this and every situation that suddenly made so much more sense, and said, “So?”</p><p>This stumped Vortigern. The warlord sat there, clearly expecting Arthur to order the death of his manservant, not simply accept the claims and move on.</p><p>“I just told you your servant has been committing treason under your nose! You should be furious!”</p><p>“Merlin hasn’t been committing any treason,” Arthur lied, “He has done everything on my orders and with my permission.”</p><p>“Magic is punishable by death.”</p><p>“Oh?” Arthur asked, thinking fast, “Haven’t you heard?”</p><hr/><p>A few meaningless arguments later, Arthur was back at his desk hastily drafting a legislation and law changes. Two hours later he burst into the library and told Geoffrey to get those laws processed immediately, they should have been done yesterday.</p><p>Vortigern had clearly gone straight to checking the laws, and having not found what he was looking for, had come right back to confront Arthur.</p><p>“The law still states that magic is punishable by death.”</p><p>Arthur made a face of confusion and gestured for Vortigern to follow him. He led the warlord down to the library and very calmly asked Geoffrey where the latest laws on magic were. Geoffrey raised an eyebrow, judging Arthur’s decision-making. Arthur ignored the judgement and found the papers he had written and had processed less than an hour ago.</p><p>“Here,” he said calmly, “the law states that all practice of magic and Old Religion is legal, and Sorcerers and magical creatures will be held to the same standards as those without magic.”</p><p>Arthur levelled a harsh glare towards Vortigern. “That means,” he said forcefully, “that you have to release my manservant.”</p><p>Vortigern’s face darkened and Arthur just stood there with a pleasant expression. The warlord marched off in a huff, and all the fight drained from Arthur. He didn’t know how exhausted, nor how worried, he had been until the situation had been resolved.</p><hr/><p>Merlin was released from Vortigern’s rooms where he had been chained with cold iron. The burns from the irons were painful and required medical attention, but he ignored them in favour of finding Arthur.</p><p>He burst into the king’s chambers mind on only seeing if Arthur was alright. He’d been so sure that the only way he was getting out of this was in death, but then Vortigern had released him with several minutes of swearing.</p><p>Arthur was at his desk, papers were strewn everywhere, and yet when Merlin burst in he ignored the mess and lunged.</p><p>Merlin flinched, bringing his hands up in a vain attempt to stop Arthur, but the king just gripped Merlin tight in a back-breaking hug.</p><p>“Don’t ever do that again,” Arthur ordered, “you hear me? Don’t you ever do that again! I don’t care if you have to use your magic, but don’t you <em>ever</em> leave me alone again.”</p><p>At the words, ‘your magic’ Merlin went very still, Arthur, noticing this, just handed him one of the several pieces of paper. The words <em>magic</em> and <em>legal</em> jumped out at him and Merlin’s mind shut down. He couldn’t handle the sudden rush of relief and the absence of fear that spread through him.</p><p>Arthur held him as he sobbed, and once the tears had run dry, Arthur released him.</p><p>“Merlin,” he said cautiously, “will you be my court sorcerer?”</p><p>Merlin’s eyes shone with fresh tears, “warlock, not sorcerer, and you’ve got yourself a deal.”</p>
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